We’re here with the Friday megalinks. I hope your 4th is going well wherever you are.
Starting with your weekend viewing then we’ll see how many media columns we actually have on this holiday 4th.
Weekend Viewing Picks
Breakfast at Wimbledon and Red Sox-Yankees dominate the national viewing this weekend.
NBC has its traditional Breakfast at Wimbledon with the Ladies’ Singles Final between the Williams sisters on Saturday, then the Gentlemen’s Singles with a collision course between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Both finals will begin at 9 a.m.
Over to baseball, Fox and ESPN will both have the Red Sox-Yankees on their national broadcasts. In addition to Sox-Yanks on Saturday, Fox will have the Cubs at St. Louis. The games on Fox begin at 3:55 p.m. TBS will have the Cubs-Cards at 3 p.m. Sunday, following the All Star Game Seelction Show at 2. WGN will carry Oakland at the White Sox, Sunday at 2. The ESPN Sunday night game is at 8 p.m. as always.
NASCAR is in Daytona for its 4th of July holiday weekend race. TNT carries the Coke Zero 400 Saturday night at 8.
The U.S. Olympic Trials in both swimming and track & field resume. NBC has primetime coverage of swimming throughout the holiday weekend at 8 p.m. ET. They’re also streamed on NBCOlympics.com. The track & field trials are on USA tonight at 11, then on NBC Saturday at 5 and again Sunday at 7 p.m.
The Tour de France begins this weekend and Versus has all day coverage of the month-long bike race.
The PGA Tour heads to Congressional in Maryland for the AT&T National. CBS has weekend coverage beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday. CBS also carries the LPGA Tour stop in Arkansas at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Formula 1 racing stops for the British Grand Prix which Fox has at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Indy Car series is at Watkins Glen on ABC Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
And boxing fans can watch the WBO Jr. Welterweight title fight on Showtime this Saturday at 11 p.m.
Now to your links.
National
Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch talks with TBS MLB analyst Cal Ripken, Jr.
Let’s go West to East today.
West
We’ll start with Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News who likes FSN’s new Baseball’s Golden Age series which premieres this Sunday (check your local listings). Tom also has his extensive media notes.
In the Los Angeles Times’ Sound and Vision column, Larry Stewart says Baseball’s Golden Age is must-see viewing.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes that TBS got it right this year by putting the All Star Game Selection Show before its MLB game.
John Maffei of the North County Times says baseball isn’t your only viewing option this weekend.
Jay Posner from the San Diego Union-Tribune says Baseball’s Golden Age is very enjoyable.
Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) Morning News writes ESPN gave Utah a nice showcase during last weekend’s Arena Football League playoff game.
Midwest
Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says FSN’s Baseball’s Golden Age is worth watching.
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that FSN North is trying out a new center field camera for Twins games.
Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald says his readers are split over former WSCR host Mike North.
Teddy Greenstein from the Chicago Tribune wonders why the World Series of Poker is going to take a four month break for the finals. Teddy has his Weekend Viewing Picks.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Americans prefer watching international soccer than MLS.
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press also likes Baseball’s Golden Age.
In the Akron Beacon Journal, George M. Thomas raves about Baseball’s Golden Age.
South
The Daily Oklahoman’s Mel Bracht says Sonics’ radio announcer Matt Pinto will be moving to Oklahoma City with the team from Seattle. Mel does a Q&A on where the new Sonics will be heard and seen. Mel also discusses FSN’s new series on Baseball’s Golden Age. And Mel has his weekend viewing picks.
Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram talks with ESPN Baseball Tonight analyst and former Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle warns not to sound the death knell for NFL Films just yet. And David writes that the radio rights for the Astros are in play.
Dave Darling from the Orlando Sentinel also gives a good review to Baseball’s Golden Age.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talks with Fox Sports’ Joe Buck who’s now backtracking on his comments that he doesn’t watch baseball and prefers watching “The Bachelorette”.
Doug Nye of the State wonders why the TV networks won’t show baseball on the 4th of July.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Tim Lemke of the Washington Times wonders why NBC has to tape delay the Wimbledon men’s semifinals.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun also writes about Joe Buck’s anti-baseball comments on ESPN Radio earlier this week.
Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that 1250 ESPN is doing a parade of hosts auditioning for Mark Madden’s chair including Andy Gresh, formerly of the Score in Providence.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick wishes SNY would stop sugarcoating Mets’ losses. And the Post has five questions for TBS’ Harold Reynolds.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times has Joe Buck backtracking even further on his comments that he dosn’t watch baseball.
Newsday’s Neil Best has video of Whitney Houston lip-synching her stirring rendition of the National Anthem during Super Bowl XXV.
That’s going to do it for now. I’ll have the regular Friday features coming up later.
